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Doctor-patient discussions of alternative medicine for back pain
J O Neher1, J M Borkan, M J Wilkinson
1Department of Family Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, USA. jneher@vmc.fammed.washington.edu
Objective:
To document the frequency of conversations about alternative medicine during primary care consultations for back pain in diverse settings.
Design:
"Exit interview" type patient survey.
Settings:
General practices in Seattle, Washington; rural Israel; and Birmingham, England.
Patients:
A convenience sample of 218 adults completing a doctor visit for back pain.
Main Outcome Measures:
Frequencies of doctor-patient discussions of alternative medicine.
Results:
Alternative medicine was discussed in a minority of visits (US site 40%, Israel site 37%, UK site 14%, p < 0.05). At each site, patients initiated at least half of the discussions. Users were five to six times more likely to discuss alternative medicine with their doctor than non-users (p < 0.05 for comparison at each site). The percentage of patients who used alternative medicine but left the consultation without discussing it was similar at all sites (US site 17%, Israel site 23%, UK site 15%).
Conclusions:
Discussions of alternative medicine occurred in a minority of consultations for back pain although the rate varied considerably by site. Discussions were initiated primarily by patients who use it.
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